Philadelphia Eagles Tight End James Casey To Undergo Knee Surgery

By Matt Lombardo

Thomas Campbell – USA Today Sports

Philadelphia Eagles tight end James Casey will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery, a team source revealed Thursday.

Casey, signed as a free agent by the Eagles in March, will undergo the procedure to clear out loose cartilage in his right knee and will be sidelined for the remaining of spring practices at the Novacare Complex.

The former Houston Texan signed a three-year, $14.5 million deal, and is expected to push starter Brent Celek for playing time this season while contributing as an h-back where he made his bones in Houston. According to multiple sources, Casey should be healthy enough to return to action by the time the team begins training camp this summer.

Earlier this week, the Eagles signed tight end Will Shaw as a rookie free agent out of Youngstown after releasing rookie free agent running back Miguel Maysonet. Maysonet was expendable after the team signed running back Felix Jones last week.

Casey’s injury likely means expanded practice reps for second-round draft choice Zach Ertz, who will join the team in spring practice following Stanford’s graduation, and a larger workload for Shaw.

The 22-year-old Fort Worth, Texas product posted career-highs while catching 34 passes for 330 yards and three touchdowns last season. In Philadelphia, Casey will likely see his numbers spike in Chip Kelly‘s uptempo offense, where he could easily emerge as a red zone target and line up at three different positions in the offense.

In addition to Celek, Casey, Ertz and Shaw, the Eagles have tight end Clay Harbor on the roster as well and could carry as many as four tight ends into the regular season.

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